This invention relates to a plant support and, more particularly, to a plant support ring for use with either a T-shaped stake commonly employed for electrical fence wiring, or with a U-shaped stake commonly used with residential wire fencing.
Supports or standards for plants, such as tomato plants and young trees, come in all sizes and shapes. Many of these supports include a ring that encircles the main stem or trunk of the plant, and a means for attaching the ring to a stake or post. One common design is a metal ring that attaches to a dowel-type post, such as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 730,779, issued to Lacy; U.S. Pat. No. 2,851,823, issued to Peterson; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,534,129, issued to Stuckey. The plant support ring can also be attached to a post specifically designed to support a particular type of ring. Some examples of these plant support rings are described in U.S. Pat. No. 726,631, issued to Broxey; U.S. Pat. No. 4,677,788, issued to Mastandrea; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,341,593, issued to Foreman.
Because the plant may continue to need support as it grows taller, some of the plant supports include a series of rings that expand in size to accommodate the growing plant, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,595,019 issued to Foreman. Other supports allow for one or more rings to be mounted on a post and then repositioned along the post as the plant grows, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 1,377,832, issued to Hanner; U.S. Pat. No. 3,731,429, issued to Orthman; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,519,162, issued to Stuckey. For example, the Hanner ""832 patent describes a plant support in which a V-shaped stake, having a series of spaced-apart holes, provides a support for a wire ring. The ring includes a wire hook that extends through one of the holes in the stake to hold the ring at the desired height, and wire xe2x80x9cearsxe2x80x9d that loosely envelop the stake. The ring of the ""832 patent can be moved to another hole in the stake by disengaging the hook from the hole and moving the ring along the stake. In one embodiment, the diameter of the ring can be enlarged through disengagement of the otherwise hooked ends of the ring, allowing the ring to expand and accommodate large plants.
The Orthman ""429 patent describes a plurality of concentric rings that are fixed to a bracket that is removably secured to a post having a T-shaped cross section and shoulders on the outer face of the T-post. The bracket is a channel shaped member with holes along one face. The channel engages a part of the T-post, and the holes register with the shoulders of the T-post to retain the device at the desired vertical position. The height of the rings is adjusted by tilting the bracket so the shoulders exit the holes, and then sliding the channel along the post. There appears to be no positive fastening of the device to the center post.
The Stuckey ""162 patent describes a plant support ring that mounts on a U-shaped post. The ring includes a brace member, that engages the flanges of the post, and a locking clip, that includes prongs which fit within apertures of the U-post to hold the brace member at the desired height. The ring can be repositioned on the post by disengaging and repositioning the locking clip.
As noted in U.S. Pat. No. 5,440,834, issued to the present applicant and incorporated herein by reference, the older design plant supports are acceptable for the small residential plant grower, but growers with larger numbers of plants need a ring that can mount on a stronger commercial T-shaped post and be stable on the post. Thus, the support of the ""834 patent was designed for use with an upright support having a T-shaped cross-section, and includes a support ring, integral to a support member, and adapted to be secured to a T-shaped post. However, the ring of the ""834 patent, while fitting securely on the T-shaped post commonly employed for electrical fences, did not mount securely on the U-shaped post commonly used for residential wire fences and more commonly available at local hardware stores than the T-shaped post.
Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide for a plant support that can be mounted on a T-shaped post or a U-shaped post; that is easily fastened to and removed from the post; that is easily adjustable up and down the post between fixed positions; that is light weight and easily fabricated; and that can be used with various types of plants, such as tomato plants and small trees.
The present invention is a plant support that can be used on either a T-shaped post or a U-shaped post. The support, which is preferably made from a polymeric material, includes a ring for supporting the plant, and a brim with a latching section which engages the post, and holds the ring at a pre-selected height on the post. The support can be easily repositioned on the post if the user so desires. In one embodiment, a spacer is included between the ring and the brim so that the plant can be supported at a short distance away from the post.
The support ring may further include a removable arc section to allow the support ring to be easily removed from around the plant. Tabs that project from the ring can also be optionally included to allow plant stalk supporting accessories to be attached to the ring.